The NHS, the Spending Review and George Osborne

The NHS, the Spending Review and George Osborne George Osborne has the aura of a man who is the master of all he surveys. It is an aura that has been hard won but could be easily lost as the government’s reverse in the House of Lords over tax credits shows. The Chancellor faces far greater challenges in other areas of public spending as the Spending Review nears completion.

The outcome of the Spending Review, to be announced on 25 November, will reveal the government’s priorities for public services for this parliament. The broad outlines of further deep cuts in most forms of public spending with the exception of protected areas such as health care are well known. The Conservative party made its intentions on deficit reduction crystal clear during the election campaign while also limiting its room for manoeuvre by pledging not to increase headline tax rates. The King's Fund